On August 9th, 2015, at the anniversary of the police murder of unarmed Black teen Michael Brown, at the Ferguson Rebellion, a militarized state of emergency has yet again been declared on the county of Ferguson by the governor, in a knee-jerk over-reaction to a combination of peaceful protesters, civil resistance protesters, and a non-protester that allegedly engaged in a shootout with undercover police. The August 9th protest, militarized police show of force, embedded undercover police among protesters, shootings, and declaration of a state of emergency in Ferguson, exposed the reality of the situation in Ferguson: the reality being that Ferguson is ground zero of America’s problem of racism, poverty, and militarism against Black people in America. The reality that, even after a year has passed since the first Ferguson rebellion, contradictions of the State still abound in Ferguson — contradictions like a proven racist county government and a shamelessly opportunistic Governor verbally calling for peace and reform in Black communities, while continuing to militarize the police, mobilize the police military against protesters seeking racial justice; militarily occupying Black communities under state of emergencies, and ignoring mass poverty. Where’s the peace and reform in that?
Here it is the state is telling Black people to be peaceful while the state continues to be violent. That is like the snake telling the rodent not to resist as it swallows him whole. Contradictions like the police allowing an armed white militia group, called The Oath Keepers, to freely roam the streets of Ferguson at night and antagonize protesters, while the police accosted the protesters for having the audacity to exercise their right to peacefully assemble. It was to no surprise for Black people to see the police tolerance of the middle aged white men of the Oath Keepers militia, whom openly carry assault rifles, ammunition clips, and wore body armor, juxtaposed with the police intolerance of the mostly Black protesters, which speak volumes of the predominantly white police forces racial attitudes towards African Americans. There, the police deemed an armed white militia group, who were antagonizing protesters at night, as non-threatening, while Black, white, and Latino protesters with only cell phones in hand were deemed menacing and threatening. The fact is, African Americans see these contradictions of the state as clear as the bright of day, and understand that this spotted beast called America would never change its white supremacist ways until it is forced to do so. Can a leopard change its spots? Not at all. From the belly of the beast, this is Shakaboona. Thank you for listening.
These commentaries are recorded by Noel Hanrahan of Prison Radio.
